Fun for Kids! A Collection of DIY Musical Instrument Ideas Using Everyday Materials
Handmade instruments that bring the world of music closer.
Their charm lies in how easy they are to make with materials you already have on hand, and in the fun of learning how sound is produced during the making process.
Using items like plastic bottles, cardboard, and rubber bands, you can create instruments that produce authentic tones.
The methods for making maracas, castanets, koto, and more are very simple.
Not only can you enjoy making and playing them with children, but it’s also a chance to learn how music works.
Use this as a reference and try making your own original instruments!
- Handmade instruments with plastic bottles: try making flutes, percussion, and traditional ethnic instruments.
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- Handmade maracas ideas. Easy to make! Musical instruments for kids.
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- Simple DIY Drum Ideas: From Den-Den Drums to Taiko Drums!
- Let’s play Christmas songs with handmade instruments! Craft ideas for sound-making instruments
- [For Kids] Today’s Handmade Craft Ideas
- DIY ideas for a den-den daiko (Japanese pellet drum). Let’s make and play with this nostalgic toy!
- Toys you can make from cardboard crafts! Authentic ideas you can build and play with
- Let's make toys with paper cups! Simple and fun handmade toys
- Made with toilet paper rolls! Exciting and fun easy handmade toys
- [Let’s Make and Play!] Handmade Toy Ideas You Can Create Yourself
- Fun crafts using straws
Kids will love it! A collection of DIY musical instrument ideas made with everyday materials (21–30)
A whistle you can blow with a straw
Here’s how to make a whistle out of a straw.
Cut two slits at one end of a straw and trim it so the width forms a rectangle.
Cut the other end of the straw and fit it over the rectangular end, then secure it with cellophane tape.
Adjust the tape so the width becomes a square.
Cut another straw to about 5 centimeters and flatten one end.
Place the flattened end over the side where you can see the square gap, and secure it with cellophane tape.
The key is to test-blow it and check the sound before taping everything down firmly.
Change the lengths of the straws to create different pitches, fix them in place, and you’re done.
Kids are sure to get excited about a whistle made from everyday materials!
egg maracas
These colorful maracas are sure to lift your spirits! Here’s an idea for making egg maracas.
What you’ll need: egg capsules, beads, construction paper and Christmas-themed illustrations, and large stickers.
The charm of egg maracas is that the steps are simple.
The playing method is simple too, so kids can have fun performing.
The colorful look with beads in all different colors is adorable and bound to brighten your mood! Give it a try and make some yourself.
Chomp Chomp Castanets
Let’s handcraft castanets—star performers in any ensemble—using a milk carton.
Cut the milk carton into pieces sized for the top and bottom parts of the castanets, and glue construction paper on the outside.
From here, it’s the kids’ turn! Have them freely draw animals or their favorite characters on the construction paper.
Tearing paper for collage or decorating with stickers will also make it look great.
Next, use an awl to make holes, thread a chenille stem (pipe cleaner) cut to a length that fits a finger, and attach plastic bottle caps on the inside so they make a clicking sound.
Your original castanets are complete!
Cardboard guitar that makes sound
Let’s introduce a fun-to-make cardboard guitar.
Prepare one cardboard box, five rubber bands, a food tray, packing tape, glue, scissors, and a cutting mat, then let’s get started.
Draw a rough outline of a guitar on the opened cardboard and cut out each part along the lines.
Make slits along the long side of the food tray; the depth of the slits will change the sound it produces.
Thread the rubber bands through the slit area.
Attach the food tray to the hole in the guitar body part using packing tape.
Glue the neck and head together.
Then glue the neck and head onto the guitar body to complete it.
Paint it and add decorations to finish your own original guitar!
paper cup trumpet
This is a craft using a paper cup that can produce a trumpet-like sound when you pull the string sharply.
First, make a hole in the bottom of the paper cup, thread a string through it, and secure it with a short, folded toothpick so the string doesn’t slip out.
Then, when you pull the string vigorously, the impact on the string is transmitted to the paper cup, creating a trumpet-like sound.
You can pull the string with your hand, but using chopsticks is also recommended—try it out and see how the sound changes.
Since just building the mechanism can look simple, it’s also important to add your own decorations to the paper cup.
Hand bell with Santa and reindeer
Let’s make it with construction paper! We’ll show you how to make a Santa and Reindeer hand bell.
You’ll need red and white construction paper, Santa and reindeer face parts, scissors, tape, chenille stems (pipe cleaners), bells, and round stickers.
First, cut the construction paper into a semicircle.
Next, roll the semicircle into a cone and secure it with tape.
The key point is to leave a gap at the top! Finally, thread a bell onto the chenille stem and attach it to the construction paper to finish.
It also looks cute if you decorate it with crayons or stickers.
Zeni Daiko (coin drum)
Isn’t making sounds fun? So here’s an idea: make a zeni-daiko using a plastic wrap core.
A zeni-daiko is a musical instrument made by attaching coins to a stick-like object.
Despite the name including “drum,” it’s actually closer in nature to a tambourine.
When you make it, try placing coins inside the core.
It’s fun to see how the tone changes depending on the size, number, and weight of the coins.
Find your favorite sound.
You can also decorate the exterior to make it look nice.
